‘Water Lilies’ and the Journey of Identity
A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.

Mahler's 8th is one of the greatest orchestral and choral works in the classical repertoire and is rarely performed. The work has been called the 'Symphony of a Thousand', and requires eight soloists and several choirs, in addition to the orchestra. Edward Gardner's last concert in the role of Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra was during the Bergen International Festival, with the monumental Mahler's 8th Symphony in E-flat major on the programme. The concert won the Critics' Prize for Music 2023–2024, and what has been described as a "heavenly finale" has been captured for the big screen. 'Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. There are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving.' the composer said of his eighth symphony. When the work was premiered in 1910, with Mahler conducting, it broke all the rules and boundaries of what symphonies could and should be.
A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.
While it is more than established that Halston’s life is far from a fairytale, the narrative suffers as a result of the decision to revolve more around sex and drugs than his artistry, it likely does a disservice to his cultural impact by pulling focus from his achievements.
Remakes. Reboots. Reinventions. Redundancy. It's the common practice in Hollywood of late, sometimes offering us victorious reimagining of what can be considered cinematic classics while also, more often, falling flat on their UN-imaginative faces in utter defeat and lackluster results. Admittedly, with this in mind, I went into the newest incarnation of "The War of the Roses" with typical trepidation and cautious optimism.
Though 'Bound' technically falls under the genres of crime and thriller, the film's heart is a romance between two women.
The sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery in this sequel based on the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes.
With the theme of unemployment, it presents a family fantasy anecdote rather the a comment on social problems.